1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a compacting apparatus for compacting receptacles.
2. Description of the Related Art
A compacting apparatus for compacting receptacles comprises a compacting unit which has at least one first advancing device for transporting at least one receptacle in an insertion direction. The compacting unit is configured to compact the at least one receptacle while it is being transported in the insertion direction. The compacting apparatus further comprises a post-compacting unit arranged downstream of the compacting unit in the insertion direction, said post-compacting unit having at least one second advancing device for transporting the at least one receptacle through the post-compacting unit, wherein the post-compacting unit is configured to compact the at least one receptacle further.
Such a receptacle may be for example a disposable plastics bottle (such as a PE or PET bottle) or a beverage can.
A compacting apparatus of the type in question here is used in particular in conjunction with a reverse vending machine via which a consumer can deliver empties, for example in a shop, in exchange for the refund of a deposit. A reverse vending machine in this case accepts empties in the form of receptacles, for example disposable plastics bottles or beverage cans, and feeds this receptacle to a compacting apparatus that compacts the receptacle.
In the context of this text, the term “compacting” is understood to mean the reduction in volume of a receptacle. Compacting serves firstly to allow space-saving storage and easy, cost-effective transport of receptacles as a result of the reduction in volume. Secondly, in accordance with requirements for example of the Deutsche Pfandsystem GmbH (DPG), upon the return of receptacles the receptacle itself or check markings attached to the receptacle should be destroyed such that it is not possible to return the receptacle to a noncompacted state and thus to insert the receptacle into a reverse vending machine again.
DE 101 14 686 C1 discloses an apparatus in which a receptacle is fed via a vane shaft to a spiked roller that bears spikes in order to irreversibly perforate the receptacle.
DE 10 2006 033 615 A1 discloses a compacting apparatus in which a receptacle is fed to a roller that bears blades on its outer lateral surface in order to perforate and destroy an introduced receptacle.
In the case of a compacting apparatus known from DE 2009 049 070 A1, provision is made of two rollers which have rotation axes that extend parallel to one another. The rollers bear strips that extend in an undulating manner on their outer lateral surfaces, said strips being intended to serve to improve the draw-in behavior for receptacles and compacting.
JP 2005-111552 A discloses a compacting apparatus having two chain drives which convey a receptacle in an advancing direction and as a result compact it. The compacting apparatus acts in this case unidimensionally in that the receptacle is conveyed between the diametrically opposed advancing devices. An input hopper is arranged above the compacting apparatus and has a feed opening into which receptacles are inserted. Compacting does not take place by means of the hopper, merely feeding.
Known compacting apparatuses are frequently constructed in a multistage manner nowadays, in that a post-compacting unit follows a precompacting unit. Such compacting apparatuses generally act unidimensionally, in that receptacles are pressed flat in one spatial direction and in the process are destroyed. This results in a comparatively complicated multistage construction with a considerable installation space requirement.
In addition, in conventional compacting apparatuses, as a result of the manner of destruction of the receptacle during compacting, sharp corners and edges frequently form on compacted receptacles, these sharp corners and edges having the effect that receptacles catch on and interlock with one another in a container into which the receptacles are introduced, this resulting in an unfavorable bulk handling and layering behavior with the result that compacted receptacles cannot readily be distributed favorably in a container.
There is a need for a compacting apparatus that allows both a high compacting rate and a high compacting factor, that is to say a large volume reduction, while having simultaneously reliable operation with a long service life.
The compacting rate, that is to say the maximum number of compactable receptacles per minute, in this case determines the overall performance of a receptacle return system, because a reverse vending machine downstream of which there is a single compacting apparatus can accept receptacles only at the speed at which the downstream compacting apparatus can compact the receptacles.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a compacting apparatus that allows efficient operation with a high compacting rate and a high compacting factor.